Suffolk ranks as one of the richest counties in terms of its heritage assets. It hosts over 13,000 designated listed buildings and 173 conservation areas as well as numerous buildings of local importance.
The cultural, environmental, economic and social contribution of Suffolk’s heritage to the county cannot be overestimated.
How SPS can help
SPS offers advice and support to all those who are working hard to look after Suffolk’s heritage. This includes amenity societies, campaign groups and parish councils as well as individual property owners and neighbours.
We can signpost to expert local craftspeople and specialist built-environment professionals. Or we can just give a bit of helpful advice on some of the pitfalls to avoid when preparing a listed building application.
We offer advice to local councils and communities, facing an application for changes affecting a listed building or development within a conservation area. The aim is to help them navigate the often complex planning system and make robust and effective consultation responses.
We provide help and advice to neighbourhood plan groups and others responding to Local Plans consultations to ensure that policies are effective at protecting our historic environment.
We also aim to empower local people to take the best care of their historic environment by running regular heritage training events for community groups and parish councils.
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SPS campaigns for Suffolk’s Heritage
SPS closely monitors the entire county’s planning applications affecting conservation areas, listed buildings or their settings. We pride ourselves on making sound, well-argued representations to prevent harmful impacts on Suffolk’s precious heritage in decision making. This is a crucial way in which we discharge our charitable objects to protect Suffolk’s unique and wonderful heritage.
We also work hard to ensure that the policy framework for the management of Suffolk’s heritage is effective. SPS passionately believes in the importance of humble heritage and are keen to raise awareness of the planning tools available to protect it.
SPS campaigns for local authorities and neighbourhood planning groups to include robust policies in their Plans to protect their areas’ built heritage. We encourage the identification of undesignated heritage assets, which have local architectural or social history significance.